Eight Ways to Banish the Darkness

Chanukah's eight powerful tools for bringing some light into the darkness.

At the darkest time of the year, when the daylight hours are at their shortest and the cold has set in, as the moon gets smaller and smaller until it finally disappears, we go out at night and light our menorahs. According to Jewish custom, we also light our menorahs in a low place (under 3 ft.). One starts to see a pattern emerging, a confluence of darkness in both time and space. It is into this place, at this time, that we bring light.

In all of our lives we have times and places where the "darkness" seems to gather. One loses a loved one, a job, gets angry at their children (or spouse) for leaving their clothes on the floor. There is no lack of potentially dark moments in our lives. Even the "good" things have a "dark side" -- the stress of marrying off a child or attending a family gathering, the stress of moving to a new home, or the exhaustion that comes with having a newborn baby.

Chanukah teaches us powerful tools for bringing some light into the darkness.

1. Nature vs. miracle: A famous question is asked: Why do we celebrate the miracle of the burning oil for 8 days? Since there was enough oil to burn for one day, the first day wasn't a miracle at all, it was natural! Chanukah should be only seven days.

Not so. Who says that oil should burn at all? It is also miraculous! In reality, God's Hand is behind everything that happens. "Natural" means that we have become accustomed to expect that this is the way things should be. We can b ring more light into our lives by appreciating the miraculous nature of the world around us, and cultivate gratefulness for things we take for granted.

2. Greek vs. Torah sources of light: Greek philosophy praises aesthetics and appearances. A person's light comes from how they appear to the world. It's the externals that matter.

The Torah compares Jews to oil. That which is extracted from the inside is the source of light. The Greeks were the only conquerors of Israel who did not destroy the structure of The Temple. Instead they defiled all of the vessels inside. The message? The inside could be impure and rotten to the core; it's the outside appearance that matters.

The Torah's message is don't be fooled by appearances. We miss out on many wonderful opportunities and don't get to know many great people because we dismiss them based on a superficial impression.

3. Competitive vs. co-operative: In the Olympics, the one who wins gets the glory, and everyone else ends up as losers. The concept of the Olympics, introduced to the world by the Greeks, is of one man's battle to be the best in relation to everyone else. If he makes it, he goes down in the history books. If not, it was for nothing. The Olympic torch is passed from one person to the next. When holding the torch, one stands in illumination as the center of attention. The moment that he passes it on to someone else, he stands in darkness on the sideline.

This stands in sharp contrast to the Torah concept that every person has inherent value and a unique contribution to make. The light of the Chanukah candles is additive. When one candle lights another, its own light is not diminished in any way. Actually, the candle's ability to provide light is increased due to its cooperation with its mate. When we find our unique light and share it with the world, everyone wins.

4. Humility and self-confidence: When we find ourselves in a low place, we are faced with a choice: beat ourselves up for it, or get up determined to try to do better. Traditionally the menorah is lit below three feet, but above one foot. We sometimes find ourselves in low places. We can either bring light into that place and move forward, or drag ourselves into the dirt and beat ourselves up for it. Go for the light!

5. The same height: According to tradition, the eight lights of the menorah should be the same height. We all have our unique roles and light to shine into this world. It is very easy to look at one person's role as being more important than another's. When a little gasket in your car starts leaking, it can totally incapacitate your vehicle. This little piece may not be as glorious as the engine, but it is no less important to the operation of the vehicle. We may not all have high profile roles to fulfill in this world, but each and every one of us is unique and the world needs our unique light!

6. Sanctification of the new moon: One of the three decrees of the Greeks was to forbid Jews from sanctifying the new moon each month. The lunar cycle is the monthly sign of renewal. There are times when the moon is full and the nights seem bright. There are other times when the moon is absent and the darkness of night is very deep. One of the ways that people fall into despair is to lose hope when they find themselves in darkness. It will always be like this, we say to ourselves. It will never get better.

We all go through ups and downs. We are commanded to bless the moon when it first appears right after disappearing completely. What a wonderful message of faith to remember that even when it appears dark and all seems to be forsaken, the light will come back again. Hang in there.

7. Circumcision: Circumcision was another fundamental mitzvah prohibited by the Greeks. Greek philosophy holds nature to be not only unchangeable, but the ideal form. The Torah associates the number seven with nature. Circumcision, which is commanded to be preformed on the 8th day, is representative of a Jew's mission to take the nature that they were given in the world, and go beyond it to actively shape it for the better. We may come into the world with tendencies to be pessimistic, angry, impulsive, indulgent, lazy, or any of myriad "natures" that people have. Do we take the Greek approach and nurture our natures, or do we take the Torah approach and form our natures' to nurture us?

8. If the miracle that we celebrate during Chanukah is the re-dedication of the Temple and the lighting of the menorah, why do we always recount the story of the military victory of the Chashmonaim over the Greeks? While it is true that the goal of the Chanukah story was realized in the re-dedication of the Temple, there was a long and arduous battle to get there. A small band of Jews battled against impossible odds in order to realize this goal.

Our journeys may also seem impossible at times. The road may be long and exhausting. By learning the story of the military victory of Chanukah, we gain hope that against all odds, over long periods of time, with God's help one can come to achieve their goals.

These days there is plenty of darkness in the world. May we all merit taking the messages of Chanukah into our lives and bring more light into the world.

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About the Author

Simcha Shapiro is very grateful to be happily married and the father of 4 beautiful children, living in the hills surrounding the holy city of Jerusalem. He is a practicing physician and Osteopath in Jerusalem.

Visitor Comments: 6

that was beautiful. I am having a chanukah party at my house and I can't wait to give over this article. So applicable! I loved it!

(5)
hadara,
December 13, 2009 2:18 PM

insight and light

Enjoyed reading your insights to the chag. With this article , we in the community, realize you are not only a healer of the body, but also a healer of the spirit. Kol hakavod! May you and your family be blessed with much light.

(4)
Gemma,
December 13, 2009 11:37 AM

Thank You!

Thank you so much for your beautiful words of inspiration!

(3)
Anonymous,
December 13, 2009 6:00 AM

wonderful

What wonderful ideas to enhance our lighting every night and hopefully encourage us to stretch ourselves that much further every day.

(2)
Yehudit Sperotrink,
December 12, 2009 9:55 PM

wonderful message

this was a wonderful message and can be used in many ways. In this case it makes the story behind Chanukah very powerful,uplifting and a tremendous message of hope!

I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

With stories and insights,
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